There has been numerous different suggestions and patented devices for dispensing golf balls one at a time from a tubular housing. Some rely on spring biased pistons, others on gravity, none are particularly convenient to use which is the essence of the requirements for a satisfactory dispenser. Typical examples of golf ball dispensers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,101 issued Sep. 15, 1992 to Tiller and U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,154 issued Feb. 2, 1993 to Slemp, both of which employ gravity as the means to deliver the ball to the dispensing end of the tube or U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,995 issued Mar. 9, 1993 to McDonald which employs a spring biased system for delivering balls to the dispensing opening. Generally each dispenser has some form of protruding lip for retaining the ball and preventing it from falling out and that is displaceable for dispensing of a ball.
None of these devices provide a relatively smooth operation and one wherein balls are firmly trapped in position so that they do not bounce or rattle, yet may be easily and positively dispensed from or inserted into the dispenser.